


Tell Me a Story: Charlie Bone Goes Bad

by ClassicClaire (ClaireVioletThorpe)



Series: Tell Me a Story [8]
Category: Charlie Bone Series | Children of the Red King - Jenny Nimmo
Genre: Gen, Teen Angst, juvenile deliquency, teen rebellion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-06
Updated: 2012-11-07
Packaged: 2017-11-18 03:34:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/556439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClaireVioletThorpe/pseuds/ClassicClaire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Charlie Bone, tired of being good, goes bad and causes a ruckus at Bloor's</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part 1

Charlie Bone was just sick and tired of having to fight with the Bloors and Yewbeams on every occasion. It was beginning to make him sick just thinking about the fight.

One day, after a particularly big fight, Charlie just had had it with the Bloors. He wanted to just bring them down permanently. He wanted the fighting to stop. Emma said to him, “Why don’t you just call a truce?”

“A truce?” Charlie cried out. “Are you nuts? You can’t make a deal with any of them!”

“Just say this,” said Olivia, “would it kill you just to be nice?”

“Really?” said Lysander. “Nothing good is going to come from that.”

“Well, we’ll see about that,” said Charlie.

* * *

That weekend, Charlie put his plan into motion. He was going to put an end to this senseless fighting once and for all. No matter what the consequences would be.

So he said to Grizelda as she walked by, “I’m getting really sick and tired of this crap. Now what’s the deal about being good or bad?”

“What are you hinting at, boy?” Griselda snapped.

“Being good or bad is so overrated these days,” said Charlie. “And would it kill you all just to be…you know…nice?”

“You say that you’d rather I’d be nice than mean?” Grizelda smirked at him.

“That would be nice,” said Maisie, who was on the other side of the room watching TV.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to make you be nice and end this fighting,” said Charlie, “even if I have to…go bad.”

Everyone stared at him. “You’re kidding, right?” Paton cried out.

“I’m not kidding, Uncle Paton,” said Charlie. “If grandma and the Bloors and Yewbeams want me to go bad, then I’m going to be so bad it’ll make them all cry!”

“Hah!” Grizelda laughed. “That’ll be the day!”

“And not only will I go bad, but I’m going to have all my friends go bad along with me!” Charlie laughed in turn. “Now, what do you think about that?”

Now, if that didn’t gain Grizelda’s attention, nothing else would. “So if you would join our side and get your friends to join us, then you’d put an end to all the fighting?” Grizelda said with glee.

“Don’t count on it,” said Maisie. “You know Charlie.”

“I do,” said Grizelda, “and I think something big is going to happen. I don’t know what it is yet.”

Charlie smiled an evil smile. Going bad was going to be so much fun. He smiled as he began to think of all the ways he could get back at the Bloors and Yewbeams for forcing him to give up his normal life and attend Bloor‘s Academy. But little did he know that being bad came with a huge price…


	2. Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie's new makeover shocks his family

The next day, Emma gasped in horror as she learned about Charlie’s new plan. “Going bad is a bad, bad thing,” she cried out as the others sat around in the Pet’s Cafe.

“It’ll only be temporary,” said Charlie. “I’m going to go bad just to show them that being bad is wrong.”

“What if we all went bad along with Charlie?” Billy suggested. They all stared at him.

“Really?” said Olivia. “You think WE should all go bad? Are you nutters?”

“Being bad comes with a price,” said Tancred, “one that I’m not willing to pay.”

“Well, I’m going bad along with Charlie, so if you don’t like it, then you can’t be his friends anymore!” Billy snapped, and then stormed off.

“Whoa, Billy,” Charlie said as he took off after Billy. “Where did * **THAT** * come from?”

“What? That? I’ve been doing it for years,” said Billy. Charlie nodded. He had to remember that Billy was just 9 years old, and he had lived among the Bloors since he was a small boy. So of course, he would behave in that fashion. Billy said, “If you want to go bad, then you got to dress in black and talk tough and act like you have a bad attitude. It’s really easy.”

“Yeah,” Charlie agreed. “Let’s hit the stores and see what we can find that will help me…go bad!”

* * *

When Amy, Paton, Maisie, and Grizelda were about to have dinner, a very different Charlie Bone came and joined them. He had dyed his hair black and he was wearing dark blue jeans and a black shirt. Even his shoes were black. All four adults gasped in horror as they saw him.

“Charles Bone!” Grizelda cried out. “What have you done to yourself?”

“So what? I got a makeover,” Charlie snapped. “What is your problem, Grandma? Can’t handle the bad boy-ness that is me?” The others could barely speak; they were so stunned to see the new Charlie.

Grizelda said, “But Charlie, I thought you wanted to join our team. Not this.”

“Really?” Charlie scoffed. “Well, if I want to go bad, I need an attitude adjustment. Like I can’t be dressed all nice while I’m bad, right?” No one responded. “Now if you don’t mind, I have bad boy things to do.” He then stormed into his room without a second glance.

Maisie cried out, “I hate his outfit! It’s horrible!”

Amy cried out, “I can’t believe that Charlie’s…gone bad! It’s like…I’ve become _that mother_!”

“What mother?” Maisie cried out.

“That mother whose children do terrible things,” said Amy. “I knew I never should have sent him to that school; it would only be a matter of time until he…cracked.”

“Which means I have some serious beef with the Bloors,” said Paton. “No one should be that bad that a child would want to go bad.”

Grizelda should have been happy that her grandson had come to his senses, but she wasn’t. Not where the issues of why he had gone bad were in play. She would need her sisters’ help to reel Charlie in. But even that would not be enough, as far as Charlie was concerned…


	3. Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie causes problems at Bloor's

The following Monday, Charlie put his plan into motion. He trudged along the street wearing his blue cape and dragging his trunk behind him. He could not wait to try this bad boy experiment out on the school.

“Oh look! It’s little blue Charlie!” some kids laughed when they saw him. Usually, Charlie ignored the kids who made fun of him, but this time he was determined to make them stop. So he grabbed one of them by his collar and said, “So you think this is funny, right? What if I DIDN’T want to go to Bloor‘s? It’s not MY fault I’m dressed this way!”

“Oh, sorry about that, little BLUE riding hood!” the kids laughed. Charlie lunged at the biggest kid and smacked him across his face. His nose broke and he stared at Charlie with a shocked look in his face. The other kids grew scared and they ran off crying to their mothers.

“Yeah, run away and cry to your mothers, you patsies!” Charlie laughed as he grabbed his trunk and continued walking. Fidelio saw him as he took his usual seat on the bus. He said, “Wow, Charlie, you’ve certainly gone bad.”

“Why shouldn’t I?” said Charlie. “Those kids needed to learn their place. I bet their mommies are complaining to my grandma, but she’d put them all in their place. Someone needs to stop making fun of us Bloor’s students.”

Fidelio said, “Well, I can’t blame you there, Charlie. They think it’s cool to make fun of us. We’ll have to show them where they’re wrong soon enough.”

“I hope,” said Charlie.

* * *

When the blue bus pulled up at Bloor’s Academy and the kids stepped off, Emma took one look at Charlie and screamed her head off. “What have you done to yourself?” she cried out.

“What?” said Charlie.

“Your outfit,” Emma cried out, “it’s horrible!”

“Watch it, Emma,” Billy snapped as he approached them. “I taught him how to dress like that! So butt out if you know what’s good for you!”

Emma snapped, “I can’t believe you, Billy Raven! You were always the whiny orphan who wanted a family, but now you’re just a flat-out jerk! What has gotten into you?”

“The Bloors promised me a family,” said Billy, “but they didn’t deliver the goods! That makes me mad. So mad that I’m…going bad!” After pushing some kid to the ground and daring them to say something about it, he stormed through the music doors.

By that time, Olivia, Lysander, and Tancred made their way to the group. “Where’s Gabriel?” asked Emma.

“Yeah, Gabriel’s going to be a bit late,” said Lysander.

Manfred then approached the kids, saying, “Well well well, so I hear that Charlie Bone has gone bad. This amuses me. Don’t you know that it’s just an act to get attention, hmmm?”

“What do YOU know about being a bad boy?” Charlie snapped at him. “You’re just a stupid pansy because you have no mommy. Oh yeah, I just remembered: you HATE your mommy!” The others laughed and everyone else gasped.

Emma then added, “And you’re not a bad boy if you just hypnotize people and force them to do your dirty work! I only like bad boys who show attitude and don’t take crap from anyone!”

“And besides,” said Charlie, “you’re a despicable loser jerk anyway!”

Manfred stared at Charlie for a long time. No one could believe that Charlie had stood up to Manfred. Manfred said to him, “Ouch, that hurts!” before walking away.

“You got guts, Charlie,” said Tancred. “I’m surprised that he didn’t give you detention.”

“Oh don’t worry about that,” said Charlie. “I’ve got plenty more people to offend…”

* * *

Ezekiel frowned as he heard Manfred tell him that Charlie Bone had…gone bad. “So let me get this straight,” he said. “Charlie Bone insulted you, called you a patsy, and said mean things about your mother?” Manfred nodded. “This is not good! Charlie Bone does NOT go bad! Lucretia, we need to get this boy in line! We need to get him in line now!”

“Indeed,” said Lucretia. “I bet that Dorcas, Joshua, Dagbert, and the twins will be happy to help us. Charlie Bone is a loose cannon and if this keeps up, we could all be in trouble!”

“I hope I doesn’t come to that!” Ezekiel cried out.

Charlie sat in class, smiling as he thought about all the ways he could pay back the Bloor family for hurting him and his friends over the years. It was time for them to go down…


	4. Part 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie's bad boy streak continues as he convinces Emma to go bad

Charlie knew that it was only a matter of time before Dr. Bloor summoned him to his office.

When he got there, Ezekiel and Lucretia were there as well. Manfred was still too stung by Charlie’s insults to even attend the meeting.

At length, Ezekiel said, “I heard that you have gone bad, Charlie Bone! This is unacceptable! And you also insulted Manfred! You hurt his feelings!”

“Why should I care?” Charlie snapped at him. “You’re just a mean old man whose main pleasure in life is to ruin the lives of other people! You deserved to have dad hit you over the head! You deserved to fall! You deserved to be maimed and crippled for life!”

“That’s not true, Charlie Bone!” Ezekiel cried out. “Why do you say these things?”

“Because you and your despicable family are nothing but a bunch of cruel people who would hurt people, kill people, and take away their children!” cried Charlie. “Well, someone’s got to put an end to that crap! You took my father away from me! You took Emma’s parents away from her! You won’t even let Billy have a family! You are all a bunch of horrible trolls, and if there is a God, I hope He has mercy on your souls!” He pushed Matron aside and stomped out of the room.

The adults stared at each other for a long time. Ezekiel said, “This is very bad! Charlie Bone has become…a monster!”

“And I bet that Paton Yewbeam will come here and let us have it, again,” said Dr. Bloor. “Lucretia, can’t you control your brother?”

“No,” said Lucretia. “But what are we to do about Charlie? He’s a loose cannon and that could be dangerous! What if he uses his endowment to incite terror into the school? There will be nothing but trouble for us if that happens!”

* * *

Charlie and Billy spent that day pushing aside students who dared look at them funny. Emma and the others grew worried about the boys. At lunch, she said, “Why are you like this?”

“I should have gone bad years ago,” said Charlie. “Why be good if being good is frowned upon? Especially by your own family? I’m going to give them the fright of a lifetime! And besides, Em, why don’t you go deal with the Bloors yourself? They took your father away from you. You should…go bad!”

Emma laughed as the others stared at her. “Are you suggesting that I should…go bad?” she said.

“Well, you have a good excuse,” Billy began, but Olivia shut him up.

“It’s already bad enough Charlie has decided to go bad, we can’t have anyone else going bad as well,” she said. Little did she know that that would be the least of her worries.

* * *

 

At homework time, the kids gathered into the King’s room. Charlie and Billy stood at the table, daring anyone to look at them funny. Olivia, Lysander, and Tancred took their seats and said nothing. The others glared at them all.

Suddenly, Emma stormed into the room. Anger was written all over her face. “Manfred Bloor?” She snapped. Manfred looked at her strangely. “I’m going to kill you!” she screamed. Manfred had but two seconds before Emma jumped him. She punched him and kicked him, screaming, “You ruined my life!”

“I what?” he cried out.

“You hypnotized me and Charlie’s father!” Emma yelled as she continued to slap Manfred across his face. “You took my father away from me and I can never get him back! You ruined my life!”

“OK, I’m sorry, Emma!” yelled Manfred. “But beating me up won’t bring him back!”

“No it won’t! But that’s what you deserve!” Emma snapped. She then took her seat.

Charlie said, “What happened?”

“I spoke to Dr. Bloor,” said Emma, “and he delivered the biggest lie of the century! I gave him and that Ezekiel what for!”

“What did you do to him?” Joshua piped in.

“Use your imagination, you magnetic freak!” Charlie snapped at him.

* * *

Ezekiel and Dr. Bloor were staring at the remains of Dr. Bloor’s office. Earlier, Emma had raided the room, demanding to know the truth about what had happened when she was 2 years old. When Ezekiel admitted the truth, she slapped him so hard he fell out of his wheelchair and then ransacked the office.

Dr. Bloor said, “I knew it was a matter of time before she…went bad.”

“This is bad!” Ezekiel cried out. “Emma Tolly has gone bad! Her aunt will have our heads!”

Matron said, “I can’t believe this! First Charlie, then that girl…I can’t imagine who would be the next person to…go bad!”

“We need to get those kids in line,” Dr. Bloor snapped. “But how?”  
  
“They are out of control!” Ezekiel cried out. “We need help!”

“I do have an idea,” said Matron, “but whether or not it would work is still an issue.”

* * *

Charlie frowned as he prepared for bed that night. Being bad was hard work. But he still wasn’t done with the Bloors…


	5. Part 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie, Billy, and Emma's out of control behavior leads to open rebellion...and Dr. Bloor's intervention leaves much to be desired

By the time the next day rolled around, Bloor’s Academy was a scene from your worst nightmares. Charlie, Billy, and Emma were seen dressed in black and generally being a bully to anyone who dared to cross their path. Olivia, Tancred, Lysander, and Fidelio were all worried about them. But it wasn’t over yet.

At once, Charlie, Billy, and Emma were sitting in Dr. Bloor’s office after causing a ruckus during a school assembly. He said, “Out of all the shenanigans that you three have pulled, this takes the cake! You three will be having detention this weekend!”

“Why should we care?” Emma snapped. “It’s not like you can do anything about it; and besides, I could tell certain people certain things that you don’t want anyone to know…”

“Emma,” Billy snapped.

Charlie said, “Be careful, because you may think you own the school, I actually run it during the week. So I suggest you let us go or suffer the consequences.”

Ezekiel laughed and said, “Now you think you can just tell us what to do? I have half a mind to suspend all of you, but then again, that uncle of yours won’t be too pleased about that at all…”

“No, I won’t,” said Paton as he stormed into the office. “All day yesterday, I had to sit and hear my sister complain about Charlie’s misbehavior. You’re the reason why he’s like this!”

“What do you intend to do with him?” Ezekiel cried out.

“I’m taking him out of Bloor’s immediately,” said Paton. “He won’t be coming back here anymore.”

“You would dare!” Dr. Bloor snapped.

“I would,” said Paton. “And I’m also taking Emma back to her aunt and Billy gets to come with us. It seems like you can’t handle them at all. So now I’m going to be taking them to a decent school, where they will get the education that they deserve, and you can’t do anything about it.”

* * *

Meanwhile, Olivia, Lysander, and Tancred sat in the King’s Room, telling Gabriel what had happened with Charlie, Billy, and Emma. Gabriel said, “I bet it was Dorcas, the twins, Asa, Joshua, and Dagbert who got to them. Let’s teach them a lesson!”

So all four kids slipped out the room and came upon the others in Manfred’s office. “So I heard you got them to go bad, right?” said Lysander.

“Uhhhh,” Asa began.

“Don’t you dare weasel your way out of this!” Tancred snapped as he blew a strong wind at them, knocking them over. “You convinced them that it was a good idea to be bad!”

“So what if we did?” said Inez. “It wasn’t like Charlie was any use to you guys when he was good; in fact, he is better off evil.”

“You don’t know that!” Olivia cried out. “In fact, I bet he hurt all of you, right?”

“He was mean to me!” Joshua complained. “He degraded me and called me all sorts of bad names! He’s a horrible little monster!”

“Also, he got Billy and Emma to go bad!” cried Manfred. “We’ve got to make them be good again and end this nightmare!”

“Uh, let’s think about that for a second,” said Tancred. “No way! In fact, I like the new, bad Charlie! In fact, I too shall…go bad!” And with that, he blew a huge windstorm that left Manfred’s office in shambles.

“Aaaaahhhhhh!” Manfred screamed as he looked upon the remains of his office. “This can’t be happening!”

“I’ll go bad too!” cried Olivia. “I’m going to destroy your Hello Kitty room!”

“Not the Hello Kitty!” Manfred cried out in horror.

“Nobody is going bad!” Dr. Bloor said as he came into the room. “In fact, EVERYONE is getting detention for a month due to this! Now I want you all to clean up this room and go straight to the King’s Room so I can figure out your punishment.”

* * *

Within a few minutes, all the kids were assembled in the King’s Room. Charlie, Billy, and Emma were already there. Dr. Bloor said to them, “In all my years of being headmaster of Bloor’s Academy, I have never seen such terrible behavior from any of you! You should all be ashamed of yourselves, but that’s not why you’re all being punished.”

Paton said, “No matter what the outcome, Charlie’s not going back to Bloor’s after this!”

“You would rather let him run around unchecked in a regular school?” cried Matron. “Not on your life, Paton! All day yesterday I had to hear students complaining about Charlie’s misbehavior. The boy stays put!”

Dr. Bloor continued, “And I have been receiving many complaints from parents and children alike of you using your endowments on them. You are Children of the Red King, not one of those silly useless magicians! And for that, you will all be punished! For the next six months, you are all forbidden to use any of your endowments at all; this will be to teach you how to use them properly.”

Charlie and his friends gasped in shock; Children of the Red King they were, but never to use their endowments for six whole months? That was a nightmare that no one saw coming.

“Also, I want Charlie, Billy, and Emma brought back here tomorrow, in their uniforms,” Matron snapped as Paton took all three kids and headed out the door.

* * *

The next day, Charlie, Billy, and Emma joined their friends in the King’s Room. All three were wearing their uniforms and capes. Manfred smiled at the entire group of endowed children sitting before him and said, “Hello, kids, and welcome to the first day of the six months that you’ll spend functioning as a “ _normal_ ” child…”

Charlie cried out, “Nooooooo!”

The end.


End file.
